Somewhere Only We Know
by kairi4evur
Summary: Kenny finds Butters sitting by himself near Stark's Pond on the way home from school. Butters/Kenny oneshot. Whether it's romance or friendship is open for interpretation. Loosely based on the song "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane. Rated T for language.


"_I walked across an empty land. I knew the pathway like the back of my hand." I felt the earth beneath my feet, sat by the river and it made me complete."_

Butters walked along the sidewalk as he was leaving South Park Elementary School. It was a Friday afternoon, and school was out of session for the weekend. However, he was the only fourth grader heading home at that moment. The rest of the fourth grade kids always went out to go play a game of kickball on the playground after school on Fridays. Butters never joined them, though. He wasn't very good at kickball, so he spared an afternoon of getting picked last (even after Jimmy), made fun of, and guilt tripped for ruining his team's chance at winning. The other kids would enjoy it more without him, and Butters could spare a golden opportunity to get picked on.

He didn't head straight home on those Fridays. Why go straight home and get grounded for something that really shouldn't matter? He found a place by Stark's Pond that he could just sit and be by himself. It wasn't as fun as playing at home, but he found enjoyment in this weekly short period of solitude. At least he wouldn't have to be worried about being interrupted. He was able to hide in case anybody came by, but this was a rare occasion.

Except for, that is, this particular day, on which one of Butters' classmates had skipped out on the weekly playground romp. The orange-hooded blonde had just decided to head home instead. Cartman was being even more of a stupid asshole than usual that day, so staying would have felt like a chore. Kenny chose to walk rather slowly, as he was in no rush to get home either. His hands in his pockets, he kicked a stone around as he walked along the shitty, cracked pavement. As he passed Stark's Pond, he noticed a head topped with blonde hair showing from the opposite side of a nearby tree.

Normally, Kenny wouldn't give a shit, and continue on his way, but there was only one other blonde in the fourth grade that wasn't back at the playground. Starting to become concerned, he walked up slowly, and was disappointed to find that his presumption was correct. Butters was sitting alone on the other side of this tree, unaware of Kenny's presence. Kenny was glad he didn't hear any crying, just incoherent mumbling that was expected from Butters. Kenny wondered if he should just go. No, he figured, Butters may be upset, and Butters needed _somebody _to care about him. And Kenny realized recently that that person had to be him.

"Butters?"

Butters quickly turned around. If he hadn't immediately recognized the muffled voice, he probably would've assumed it was a bully or a fifth grader. He was completely relieved that the one person to discover him was Kenny, the only actual friend he felt he had.

"Oh, hey Kenny," Butters said. "Why aren't you with the others?"

Kenny shrugged. "I didn't feel like it."

"Oh." Butters replied quietly. He wasn't sure what to do or say. He was so glad he wasn't crying, that would've been even more embarrassing.

"What are you doing here?" Kenny asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Oh," Butters started, "Well, I'm no good at kickball, so I just head home and some days, I stop here just to be alone for a little bit."

Butters was not a typical only child. Most kids that are the only child of their family tend to get a lot of attention at home, so they tend to get upset when they have to share the attention because they are not used to having to do so. However, Butters didn't really mind not being the center of attention, especially at school. In fact, he often preferred it. Of course, he didn't choose to be invisible all the time, and he enjoyed being around other kids or being praised like any other child his age. But still, often times he was given attention, it was for something he didn't want, like getting teased or mocked at school, or being yelled at or grounded by his parents. His mom and dad were by no means neglectful or abusive, but they were definitely the main reason Butters didn't mean being alone at all.

Kenny on the other hand was pretty much the exact opposite. He was poor, with a shabby two bedroom house and two siblings. He did care about his siblings a great deal, but he found himself having to protect and take care of them almost all the time. It forced him to grow up way too fast and too soon. He honestly sometimes envied Butters. It seemed like everyone in South Park Elementary was so eager to grow up. Butters was the only one who was still basically a kid. He had the innocence and naivety of a child. He played pretend by himself because it was socially acceptable for someone his age. He was able to play games in the comfort of his bedroom, and had plenty of opportunities to be alone, even if for a short time.

"You mind if I sit down, too?" Kenny asked.

Butters was a bit surprised, he knew Kenny wouldn't have made fun of him, but he just expected him to walk away. Still, he was happy to accept. "No, go ahead, I don't mind."

Kenny sat down next to Butters, shoulders touching so they were both hidden by the tree. Acting on a random impulse without thinking first, Kenny grabbed Butters' hand. They spent the next thirty minutes, more or less, just like this. No words were spoken, no more words _needed_ to be spoken. From that point on, Butters still did this weekly, and Kenny would come and sit with him in silence every other Friday, just so Butters could be alone, but not completely.

These were the moments they both treasured the most.

_"And if you have a minute, why don't we go talk about it somewhere only we know? This could be the end of everything, so why don't we go somewhere only we know?"_


End file.
